The Justice Reinvestment Initiative is a data-driven, system-wide effort to reduce criminal justice spending and to re-invest the resulting savings in strategies that yield greater cost-benefit outcomes for community safety.

Administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), selection for participation in Justice Reinvestment is competitive and consists of two phases. The first focuses on developing a comprehensive understanding of the local criminal justice system through data analysis and forming strategies which may reduce costs. Communities selected for Phase II are eligible for federal funding and technical assistance to implement and evaluate their strategies. 

In April 2011, Mecklenburg County was one of seven jurisdictions selected nationally to participate as a Phase I site. In March 2013, following a year-long strategic planning effort, the Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Advisory Group (CJAG) identified alternative strategies in four policy areas that promise to improve public safety and the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice process. 

As Phase II begins, the CJAG is forming leadership groups to oversee strategy implementation and preparing the application for BJA assistance. The table below contains links to documents developed in the course of the strategic planning effort. A summary of the Phase I process can be found here.


Supporting Documents